


F is for Fire

by Jazzie



Series: A to Z of Danny Whump! [6]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 13:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8752612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jazzie/pseuds/Jazzie
Summary: Danny's apartment is unlocked and Steve can't reach him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I did a massive amount of research when I first wrote this story several years ago, it is possible medical science has moved on since and the treatment given is no longer accurate, please suspend your belief whilst reading, just in case!

Danny Williams is woken from a blissfully deep sleep by the sound of an explosion and the apartment building he lives in shaking from the force.  Sitting bolt upright it takes just a second for him to get out of bed and over to his apartment window, looking out he sees fire and thick black smoke coming from the building opposite.

The Detective doesn’t hesitate to throw on a t-shirt, sweatpants and sneakers before grabbing his cell and running out of his apartment dialling 911.  In all likelihood half the neighbourhood is calling for the fire department, but he doesn’t want to take any chances.

“911 what is your emergency?” comes the cool clinical voice.

“My name is Detective Danny Williams, badge number 7475, there’s been an explosion…” he quickly gives the dispatcher the address and she in turn assures him help is on the way and that she’ll note that there is an officer on scene.

Danny shoves his cell into the pocket of his sweatpants and runs around his building to the one behind and grabs the calmest person he can find, which is no easy feat since everyone is running around and screaming, not sure what has happened or what they should be doing.

“Is everyone out?” Danny asks the man that he’s managed to get hold of.

“I dunno man, it’s a bit chaotic, you know?” he replies, clearly overwhelmed at being woken up at 05:00 AM by an explosion and Danny can’t really blame him.

Taking a deep breath Danny stands in the middle of the parking lot and lets off a loud whistle which cuts through the general noise and panic.

“I am a police officer.  I need all the residents to gather on my left!  Anyone who isn’t a resident, please stay back and keep clear so that the emergency vehicles can gain access!” he shouts out.

Suddenly the parking lot erupts with noise again as everyone starts talking at once but does as he asks.  Once he has everyone on his left he steps over to talk to them, using his best calming victim voice.

“Look around at the people here, is there anyone who should be here that isn’t?  The fire department will need to know if anyone is still in the building.”

He watches as the dozen people look around at each other, eyes wide in fear.  The man that Danny first grabbed speaks up, “Shana and her six year old daughter, Jessie, aren’t here but they were home last night because I saw her as I was coming in around eleven.”

There is a mumble of agreement and Danny feels his heart constrict at the idea of a woman and her daughter being in the building, of anyone being in it.

“Which apartment are they in?” asks Danny.

“Two B, so that’s second floor, first apartment on the left at the top of the stairs.”

“Anyone else?”

“No man, that’s it,” the guy replies and gets nods of agreement from his neighbours.

“Alright,” Danny pulls his cell back out and dials 911 again, advising them that are persons reported still in the building and relaying what he’s been told.  The dispatcher tells Danny that the fire department is still ten minutes out.  They’re too far away.

Standing watching the thick smoke coming out of the building, Danny makes a decision.  There’s really no choice as far as he’s concerned, he has to go in.  He strips off his t-shirt, McGarrett would be so proud, and wraps it round his face before running in the front of the building.  He hears the cries of ‘stop’ and ‘don’t go in there’, but there’s a woman and child whose lives are at risk.  If he stood by and did nothing how would he be able to look his own daughter in the eye again?

Keeping hunkered down as low to the ground as he can and still be able to run up the stairs, he makes his way to the second floor, once there he drops to his knees and crawls along the ground by the wall until he feels the door.  He checks it for heat but there isn’t any, which at least is a good sign.  He bangs on the door trying to get a response, but gets none.  Pushing himself to his feet, he pulls another trick out of the bag that normally belongs to Steve McGarrett and kicks the door in, immediately dropping to his knees again to stay below the smoke.

“Shana? Jessie?  Can you hear me?” he calls, though the sound is muffled through his t-shirt.  Taking a chance he pulls it off and repeats the call, this time louder.  He hears a noise that sounds like someone calling out from somewhere to his left, so he heads in that direction encouraging the person to keep shouting.  Finally he comes to a closed door and the sound is coming from behind it.  Testing for heat again, his father is a fire-fighter after all; he finds it cool to the touch so opens it.  Huddled in the corner is a woman with a little girl in her arms, the room is filled with the black smoke that is all through the building.

“Hi, I’m Danny,” he says going up to them, “We need to get you out of here.”

“Oh thank god!  We got disorientated in the smoke and I couldn’t find the door!”

“Where’s your bathroom?”

“Next door along the hallway,” Shana replies, holding her trembling daughter close.

“Stay here, I’ll be back in two minutes.”

“Don’t leave us here!”

“Shana, you need to stay calm and stay here, I’ll be right back, I promise I’m going to get you out of here.  OK?”

“OK.”

Danny crawls back out of what he assumes is the bedroom and along the hallway to the bathroom, once there he rips his t-shirt into two pieces and soaks them in water before going back to Shana and Jessie.  He doesn’t notice when his cell slides out of his pocket.    
“I need to tie these over your nose and mouth,” he tells Shana.  She nods her understanding and he quickly ties one round her head, knowing that if her Mom has one Jessie may not be so frightened, “Jessie, I know you’re really scared right now, but I need to put this over your face, it will help you breathe.  Then I’m gonna get you outta here.  OK?”  He receives the briefest of nods allowing him to tie the torn t-shirt over the bottom of her face.

Danny thinks he’s done all he can to make this trip safer for them but given how thick the smoke is getting and the fact he knows there’s fire on the floor above he has to move them out quickly, “Shana, give Jessie to me.”

The Mom is clearly reluctant to trust her little girl’s safety to a stranger.  It’s understandable but not helpful.  Given that this man has run into a burning building she has no choice but to trust him.  She gently coaxes Jessie out of her arms and into Danny’s.  Jessie clings to him like a limpet, her legs tight around his waist and her arms linked round his neck.

“Jessie, don’t let go!  You hold on tight, OK?”  Danny then pulls Shana alongside him and they start to crawl out of the apartment together.  He ensures that their shoulders are touching so that she knows which direction to go in.  Within a matter of seconds, but what feels like hours to the three of them, they’ve made it to the top of the stairs.  There is no way that Danny can go down the stairs with Jessie hanging underneath him as she was doing as he crawled.

“Shana, do you think that you can lead the way out now?”  He receives a muffled ‘yes’, “Keep your hand on the wall and go down the stairs, Jessie hold on to the back of your Mom’s top and I’ll be behind you.  Go!”

Once he’s sure that Jessie has a good hold of her Mom, he allows them to go down in front of him, then if either falters he’ll only be a couple of steps behind them to help.  He can now make out the sound of sirens close enough that they must be just down the road, if not actually in the parking lot.  Shana and Jessie turn the corner for the last flight of stairs just before Danny, there’s a creak and a beam from above comes crashing down in front of him, blocking his exit because it’s actually on fire.  Shana hears it and turns round.

“KEEP GOING!” Danny shouts over the noise of the crackling flames.  They’re almost clear of the building and they need to get out.  He sees a moment’s hesitation and is about to shout again when she starts to move.  Relieved, he moves back round the corner from the burning beam and huddles on the stairs as low as he can get.  He knows his best chance to get out of here now is for the fire-fighters to find him and they’ll come up the stairs if they can.

 

 

\---- 5-0 ----

 

 

Fire Chief O’Connor is standing in a throng of residents of the building currently going up in flames and smoke.  They’re all talking at once and he can’t understand what they’re saying.  He knows there’s a Detective on scene but nobody seems to be calm enough to be a police officer and he also knows there’s persons reported as still being inside the building.  Glancing over at the building he notices someone coming out the front.

“Burrows!” he waves with his hand to one of the nearby fire-fighters who are currently unravelling the hoses and hooking them up to a hydrant.

“Got it Chief!” Burrows runs over to the woman and scoops the child up while placing an arm around the woman.  EMTs are hovering nearby waiting for them.  They are helped to an ambulance where the medics start to administer oxygen.  As Burrows starts to walk away the woman’s hand on his arm stops him.

“There’s a man in there, his name’s Danny!  He saved us,” she takes in a deep breath of pure oxygen, “A beam came down on the stairs, he’s trapped.”

Nodding his understanding Burrows runs back to Chief O’Connor and fills him in.  There are men ready to go with hoses and breathing apparatus, “Got a man in there.  On the stairs.  Get him out!”

“Yes Chief,” the four men kitted out and ready to go replied before heading into the building.

 

 

\---- 5-0 ----

 

 

Danny was wondering if he’d get out of this alive.  He’d always thought if he was going to die before he reached old age it would be because of one of Super SEAL’s crazy ass plans.  Instead it looked like it might be because of one of _his_ crazy ass plans.  He could hear Steve now.  _‘What the hell were you thinking, running into a burning building?  And you say I’m crazy!’_   He just hoped that Shana and Jessie had made it out OK and weren’t suffering too much in the way of ill effects from the smoke. 

The cough that he’d developed was getting worse and his chest was tightening as he was finding it harder to breathe.  Just when he thought he might as well put his head down on the stairs and close his eyes he heard a noise, the sound of muffled shouting and water being sprayed. 

“Hello!” he cries out as loud as he possibly can, which leads to another bout of coughing.  His eyes are watering and he’s not sure if he’s actually seeing what is standing in front of him.

Then someone speaks, the sound is muffled but the hand on his shoulder can’t be mistaken, “I’m gonna get you out,” the fire-fighter states.  He places a mask over Danny’s face and he can feel the flow of fresh oxygen, then before Danny can even try to move he is hanging upside down in a true fireman’s lift, as he is carried out of the building.

Being hung upside down over someone’s shoulders is disorientating at the best of times, but then the fire-fighter steps outside and willing hands are lowering Danny onto a gurney.  The change in perspective is dizzying.  There is an EMT on either side of him, one is removing the mask the fire-fighter used and was replacing it with an oxygen mask.

“What’s your name?” asked the other EMT.  For once it wasn’t anyone he recognised.

“Danny,” his reply came out more of a whisper than anything and the one word was all he could manage.  In fact Danny didn’t recognise his own voice.

“Alright Danny, I need you take deep breaths on that oxygen.  We’re going to get an IV started then transport you to Queens.”  His patient merely nodded in response as another coughing fit wracked his body. 

Danny felt the sharp pinch of a needle going into the back of his hand but was too busy trying to draw breath to really worry about that.  The dizzy feeling was increasing and he closed his eyes to ward it off.  A moment later a blanket was thrown over him and some straps were placed loosely across him and then he was being lifted into the back of the ambulance.  The journey to the hospital was unnerving for Danny, the sirens a clear indication to even his addled mind that he wasn’t in the best of shape.

The ambulance came to a halt outside the ER and Danny was being unloaded and whisked into the department by several people before he could even take in what was happening.  He could hear one of the EMTs reeling off numbers but other than that everything was a complete blur.  Maybe it was the fact his eyes were stinging but he couldn’t be sure.  Deciding he’d had enough he let his eyes slip closed.

“Let’s move him across,” Doctor Dom Phelps instructed.  This was his first night in the ER and it had been busy.  His patient was shifted on to the ER bed and removed from the EMT’s oxygen and monitoring then hooked up to the hospitals.  “I want a chest x-ray, CBC, U&E and blood gases.  I want his vitals updated every five minutes,” leaning over his patient he tried to bring him round, “Danny, can you hear me?” There was no response, “Do we have a last name?”

“No,” replied one of the nurses, “EMTs said he could barely manage his first name.”

Doctor Phelps couldn’t waste time worrying about that now, he needed to stabilise his patient.  He listened to his lungs and didn’t particularly like what he was hearing.  Looking at his throat and in his nostrils there was a lot of soot.  “Keep an eye on his O2 levels.  Page Doctor Dudley and let him know we have a patient that might require the hyperbaric chamber, ask him to standby.”

The ER team now concentrated on keeping their patient as stable as possible pending the results of his blood work and chest x-ray.  The atmosphere in the room was one of controlled calm.  The slightest change in Danny’s condition needed to be noted and dealt with or they could lose him.

Forty minutes later they had the results they needed.  The decision now needed to be made as to whether Danny required a hyperbaric chamber or whether ventilation would be adequate to prevent potential neurological damage.

“Can someone please contact Doctor Dudley and ask him to come and consult,” Doctor Phelps requested.

A few minutes later a man in his early thirties entered the room, “Hi Dom, what you got?”

“Hi Lee, carbon monoxide poisoning following smoke inhalation,” replied Dom Phelps, “I’d like your opinion on whether we should send him for hyperbaric treatment.”

Lee Dudley looked over the information that had been given to him and then examined the unconscious patient, “Definitely.  Let’s get him prepped and moved.”

A new flurry of activity surrounded the oblivious Danny as he and the machines he was hooked up to were moved out of the trauma room and to the area of the hospital where the hyperbaric chamber treatment would be carried out.

 

 

\---- 5-0 ----

 

 

Steve McGarrett was annoyed; in fact he was downright pissed off!  His partner should have arrived to pick him up thirty minutes ago and he couldn’t get hold of him on his cell or house number.  Steve was now waiting for Chin Ho Kelly to come and get him.  He watched as Chin pulled up in his SUV and he jogged out to meet him after locking the house up.

“Thanks for coming out here Chin.”

“No problem brah.  Where’s the truck?”

“I took it to the garage yesterday and it won’t be ready until later today.  Danny said he’d pick me up this morning and hasn’t shown.  Can’t get him on his cell either!” growled Steve.

“That’s not like Danny,” Chin was surprised since the ex-Jersey man was normally very reliable, “Let’s swing by his place before we go to the office.”

Chin pulled out from Steve’s driveway onto the road and headed for Danny’s apartment.  When they pulled up outside a short while later they spotted his Camaro still in its normal parking spot.

“I’m going to kill him,” grumbled Steve as he got out of the SUV and walked up to Danny’s door, knocking on it as hard as he could without it caving under the pressure, “Danny open this goddamn door or I swear…”

“Steve!” admonished Chin.  He leaned passed his boss and tried the door on the off chance it was unlocked and was actually surprised when it opened.  The two men exchanged concerned glances and unholstered their weapons before entering.  It didn’t take long for them to discover Danny wasn’t there.  The next surprise came when they found his wallet, badge and gun next to the bed, there was no way Danny would leave without them.  Add that to the fact his car was parked outside and he wasn’t answering his phone and the two men started to wonder what had happened to him.

Steve pulls out his cell and dials, “Kono,” he barks before she can say anything, “See if you can get a trace on Danny’s cell.”

To her credit Kono doesn’t even question why, she just does as he asks, “Nothing boss, it must be switched off.  What’s going on?”

“Get a crime scene unit over to Danny’s apartment.  He’s not here but his car, badge and gun are!”

“On it,” she states before hanging up.

Unfortunately, the building that had burnt down in the early hours of that morning was not visible from the front of Danny’s apartment and neither man had any reason to look out the apartment window in their colleague’s bedroom.  If they had, they would have seen the burned out building and there is a chance they would have put two and two together.  As it was they were completely in the dark about where their friend was and it left them both with a knot twisting in their stomachs.

 

 

\---- 5-0 ----

 

 

Danny remained unconscious throughout the setting up of the hyperbaric chamber for his treatment.  Given the seriousness of his condition there would be a nurse in the chamber with him.

“Start compression,” Doctor Dudley instructed one of the technicians, “We’ll do four lots of thirty minute sessions,” he watched his patient carefully as they started the process, keeping an eye on the monitors that showed Danny’s vitals.  There was an excellent chance that he would make a full recovery if they could counteract the CO2 poisoning.

The door to the observation room opened and another doctor stepped into the room, “Lee, I heard you had a patient in the hyperbaric and thought I’d come and check it out.”

“Henry, indeed I do.  He has carbon monoxide poisoning from smoke inhalation, I’m told that he rescued a woman and her child then became trapped.  He was struggling when they got him out, to the point where we only have his first name.”

“He hasn’t regained consciousness?”

“No.  Although in some ways I think that could be a blessing for him, struggling for breath isn’t the most pleasant of experiences!”

The other doctor moved closer to the chamber so he could look in through the viewing window, he took one look at the man and gasped.

“Henry?  What’s wrong?”  
“Er, I know him,” Doctor Henry Jensen told his colleague, “It’s Detective Danny Williams and he’s on the Governor’s 5-0 taskforce.  Nobody recognised him?”

“No.  I’ve never met him before and there were several new staff in the ER, including Doctor Phelps.”

“Damn, I need to make a call, his partner is probably tearing the island a part looking for him!”

“His partner?  Do you mean his wife?  I didn’t see a wedding band.”

“No, I mean his partner on the task force, Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett.  The team are very close and their day starts early so they’ve probably noticed that he’s missing by now.”

“You know them well then?”

“I should, I’ve treated them practically every time one of them has been to the ER!”

“Well Danny has just finished his first thirty minute treatment, so I’m going to check his blood work while you call his partner.”

Doctor Jensen sighed in the manner of someone who has a task to carry out that they wish someone else would, before leaving to make the call.

 

 

\---- 5-0 ----

 

 

“Hi Steve, Kono said Danny’s missing.” Charlie Fong from the Crime Scene Unit approached the head of 5-0.

“Hi Charlie.  Yeah, he didn’t show up to get me this morning and I couldn’t reach him on his cell.  Kono checked and it’s off.  When we got here the door was unlocked and Danny’s badge and gun are still here, no signs of a struggle.”

“Alright, we’ll take a look…”

Steve’s cell rang, “Excuse me Charlie,” he said apologetically before answering, “McGarrett.”

“Steve, its Doctor Jensen.”

“What can I do for you doc?” Steve asked distractedly.

“It’s about Danny…”

That got his attention and his head shot up, “Danny?  What about him?”  Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and all eyes focused on Steve, “What?  Is he going to be OK?  Of course, we’ll be right there!” He hung up the phone and turned to the roomful of people, “Danny’s at Queens…” he told them what Doctor Jensen had said before instructing Charlie to lock up on his way out and rushing out the door with Chin.

 

 

\---- 5-0 ----

 

 

Doctor Dudley reviewed Danny’s latest set of bloods and was pleased with his progress.  He was just starting on his third thirty minute treatment and the doctor was sure that after his fourth treatment they’d be able to move him to the ICU, where he could be closely monitored for any further issues.

The door to the observation room opened and Doctor Jensen stepped through with two men and a woman in tow.

“Doctor Lee Dudley, this is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Detective Chin Ho Kelly and Officer Kono Kalakaua,” he introduced the three strangers to him and he dutifully shook hands.

“I’m sorry you weren’t informed that Danny was here sooner, but he had no ID on him and only managed to tell the EMTs his first name.”

Steve waved the apology away knowing that it wasn’t anyone’s fault, except maybe his partner’s and there was no doubt in his mind they’d be having words about entering buildings that were on fire without proper equipment.  Even if he knew that conversation would be more for show than anything else, as he’d have done exactly the same thing, “How is he?”

“Danny was brought in suffering from severe smoke inhalation, which resulted in carbon monoxide poisoning.  Following blood tests he was deemed suitable for hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT.  The chamber only contains pure oxygen on a continuous flow and the compression, or pressurisation, means that the oxygen can penetrate the body faster, this means the CO2 is being replaced quicker than if he were on a normal mask or even a ventilator.  He breathes pure oxygen for thirty minutes, then we take a break to allow normal air to be breathed for about five minutes and then we start the cycle again.  Danny is on his third cycle and will have one more after this.  Once his treatment is complete we’ll decompress the chamber and he’ll be transferred to ICU.”

“Is that a long winded way of saying he’ll be fine or what?” Steve asked with a raised eyebrow.

Doctor Jensen cringed, he should have warned Lee about the Commander’s lack of tolerance for beating around the bush, “Steve, Doctor Dudley is merely trying to help you understand what Danny is currently going through!” he admonished gently.

“Sorry,” though Steve didn’t look very remorseful.

“It’s fine, I get carried away with the explanation because seeing someone you care about in a metal chamber, with a lot of machines attached can be a bit worrying, so I try to explain what the procedure is and why we’re doing it as soon as possible.  In answer to your question Commander, as long as there are no complications from the smoke inhalation after his hyperbaric treatment, he should be fine.”

“What kind of complications are we talking about?”

“There’s still a risk of respiratory failure with this level of smoke inhalation, however with the use of the HBOT this is unlikely.  Also Danny is at a higher risk of pneumonia, as the lungs are likely to be coated with soot, these things will be monitored closely in ICU.”

“Can we see him?” asked Kono quietly.

“Of course,” Doctor Dudley waved them to the viewing window.

The three friends stood side by side and peered in at their very quiet and still friend.  No movement, no talking, just eyes shut, it wasn’t an easy thing to see.  One of the nurses brought them chairs and they all sat and watched as Danny went through the rest of the treatment.

 

 

\---- 5-0 ----

 

 

Danny’s return to consciousness is somewhat anticlimactic initially, there’s nobody awake to see it happen, as his three visitors are all out for the count in various sprawled positions in their chairs.

His tired eyes track round the room as he takes in their presence.  The memory of how he came to be in a hospital bed, hooked up to all sorts of machines is escaping him at that moment.  He takes stock of all his limbs and realises, that for the most part he’s fully intact.  Looking around at the machines, he recognises the heart monitor, of course with it’s annoying beeping it would be hard not to recognise that, a pulse oximeter on his finger, a nasal cannula for oxygen and of course an IV.

Closing his eyes he thinks he’ll just allow himself to drift back off to sleep but his body betrays him and prevents him from following through.  It starts with realising his throat is sore, which in turn brings his attention to a tickly feeling.  He tries to clear his throat hoping that will get rid of the tickle.  It doesn’t.  He does succeed in waking up his slumbering friends though, as he starts to cough which triggers an instant reaction of both wanting to throw up and the feeling of not being able to catch his breath.

Steve is by his side in one smooth movement helping him sit up a little, Kono is rushing out the door and Chin appears at his other side.

“You’re alright Danny, just try to relax,” Super SEAL earns himself the best glare that Danny can manage given the circumstances.

Danny’s favourite nurse, Akela, enters the room.  Just to be clear, he’s actually Kono’s favourite nurse but Danny thinks he should be allowed some sarcasm right now, even if it’s only in his own head.  In Akela’s hand is a syringe, which he deftly slips into Danny’s IV port.

“That will help you get this cough under control,” he also disconnects the nasal cannula and places an oxygen mask over Danny’s face, much to the patient’s disgust but also relief.  The cool fresh air starts to ease the tightness in his chest, “Danny, I want you to concentrate on me.  Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out,” the nurse calmly coaches.

The Detective thinks he might have to change his opinion of Akela as he helps him calm down and get his breathing under control.  As his breathing eases, Danny becomes aware of an unpleasant feeling and the look that crosses his face is easily read by the nurse.  An emesis bowl appears in no time and the oxygen mask is removed.  Danny proceeds to throw up and much to his disgust it’s not normal up chuck either, it’s black and tarry looking.  A few minutes later, when the vomiting has passed and the emesis bowl is removed, a sip of water is offered and taken.  Danny is shaking with the strain of what he’s just been through but Steve still has him in a firm grip and is talking softly to him.  If either man was asked what was said neither would be able to say, but just his friend’s voice was easing him.

Akela replaces the oxygen mask and helps Steve lower his partner back down, though he raises the head of the bed slightly to make breathing a little easier.

“We’re going to need to use suction to help remove some of that mucus Danny,” Akela informs him.

Still unable to talk, Danny just flaps a hand at him, too tired to argue.  Taking that as consent, the nurse disappears, only to come back a short time later with another syringe, “This is to help you relax while I do the suctioning, it’s not particularly pleasant but it will help and hopefully you’ll be able to avoid vomiting again,” Danny’s all for no more vomiting.

Akela removes the oxygen mask again and angles Danny’s head back slightly.  Taking a small plastic tube, he explains to Danny that he is going to insert it through his nose and into his windpipe and then he’ll use a gentle vacuum to suck out the secretions that are causing him problems.  Danny’s eyes widen but given his options he figures he’s got nothing left to lose.  Steve takes his hand and squeezes to let him know he’s still there and Akela begins.

It’s clear neither Danny nor Akela take any pleasure from the procedure but Danny is certainly more comfortable afterwards.

“Tomorrow we’ll change to postural drainage, basically you’ll be positioned so that the secretions can drain easier, someone then claps you on the back with a cupped hand,” he cups his hand to demonstrate, “That will loosen the mucus and you’ll be able to cough it up easier and avoid being sick.  Still not pleasant but it will likely need to be done for a while.”

“Thanks,” Danny whispers tiredly.

“Get some rest Danny,” Akela replaces the nasal cannula this time and straightens the covers before leaving.

“Sleep, we’ll be here when you wake up,” instructs Steve, receiving a grateful smile in return.

 

 

\---- 5-0 ----

 

 

Five days later, Danny is finally leaving Queens.  He spent two days in the ICU thanks to the problems caused by the build-up of mucus, then a further three days to ensure that he could maintain his own oxygen levels.  Everyone on the team had been shown how to assist him with the postural drainage, so he was being allowed to go home.

Of course that didn’t mean his apartment, it meant Steve’s house.  Danny was discharged with an inhaler to help widen his airway if he got breathless and various prescription drugs.  All of which Steve had paid attention to in case his partner decided not to do as he had been told.  This followed several arguments in the hospital, as Danny tried to make good his escape before the Doctor allowed.  The last escape attempt had been the worst and the final straw for Danny’s care givers. 

The patient had decided, after just one day out of ICU, he was fine and could leave.  He waited for his chance when nobody from his team was in his room and managed to get himself dressed and down as far as the lobby.  Unfortunately for Danny, or maybe fortunately given the results, he was spotted by Akela, who escorted him back to his room and stood in the doorway with his arms folded.  That was how the team and Doctor Dudley found him when they returned to check on Danny.  After explaining his presence his three team mates and doctor all turned to Danny for an explanation of why he would do something so monumentally stupid.

Danny had gone into full on rant mode, for which he really didn’t have the strength.  That in turn led to a severe coughing fit, which dropped Danny to his knees.  It took thirty minutes to get him settled back into bed with an oxygen mask.  Doctor Dudley told Danny in no uncertain terms that he had just set back his recovery and would be staying at least an additional day.  That had done the trick, that and the promise Akela would be requested as his personal nurse if he didn’t behave!

Now he was leaving and Steve was determined that no foolishness would set back his recovery again.  The SEAL wasn’t alone in that, Kono and Chin were backing him all the way.    
As for Danny, he’d learnt his lesson and prepared to be a good patient.  That didn’t mean that he wouldn’t mentally note things so he could turn the tables on his team mates if they ever found themselves needing _him_ to care for _them_.  Of course he hoped that never happened, but if it did, he’d be ready to pay them back.  After all that’s what family do!

 


End file.
